Workshop 6: “Walking” with Henry David Thoreau1

From: Writing and Walking, Pilgrimage and Process:

Working with the Essays of Linda Hogan and Henry David Thoreau

By: Rebecca Chamberlain

The Evergreen State College
Email: chambreb@evergreen.edu
Phone: (w) 867-5845, (h) 866-2141

Time: 1.5 hours, or two fifty-minute sessions

The focus of this workshop is on a close analysis and reading of Thoreau's essay, as
well as a student-centered in-class conceptual workshop to compare and contrast the essays
titled, “Walking” by Linda Hogan and Henry David Thoreau. Your are to use these
discussions to begin to understand elements of the essay and to construct your own identity
and purpose as writer working within a particular social and historical context. You should
use your understanding of these works to formulate your own sense of the elements of good
writing as well as to develop a more complex understanding of your own identity and sense
of place, the historical and cultural context around issues of sustainability and environmental
ethics, and a sense of writing and walking as a process, not simply a destination.

∆ * ∆ * ∆ * ∆

What is it that makes it so hard sometimes to determine whither we will walk? I believe that there is a
subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.

--Henry David Thoreau, “Walking”

In wildness is the preservation of the world.

--Henry David Thoreau, “Walking”

We will be working with Henry David Thoreau’s essay, “Walking,” as we look at different
ways that writers approach essays. How do they tell stories, reflect on specific events in their lives, or
construct arguments to convince their readers of a particular point of view? Some arguments are
implicit, and embedded within a narrative. Other arguments are explicitly stated, and are presented in
a straightforward manner. Writers draw on various techniques to explore their personal experiences,
or to argue for a particular point of view.
Get your notes and responses to Linda Hogan’s essay out. Keep your ideas about her essay
in mind, and include them your discussion. Be prepared to compare and contrast the two essays
throughout your discussion.
At the end of the workshop,

1) Put your notes in your program portfolio for review.

2) Evaluate yourself on how you interacted in the workshops, took notes, and expressed your
ideas in small groups and to the class.

Part 1: (60 min.) READING AND DISCUSSION

1
This workshop follows our discussion of Linda Hogan’s essay “Walking.” You should bring your notes
and responses to Hogan’s essay so you can compare and contrast the two works.

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 Get into small groups of three or four people. Choose one person to be a time-keeper so that
you move through these activities in the allotted time. Choose another person to read each question
orally when the last section is completed. Select another person to be a scribe and take notes about
your discussion. Take turns reading passages or interesting selections aloud Thoreau’s essay,
“Walking.” What stands out to you? What patterns do you see? What are the overall themes or
ideas? Briefly respond to the following questions as we discuss Thoreau’s writing.

A: Take turns reading aloud selections from “Walking,” by Henry David Thoreau. (15 min.)

B: Discussion (45 min.)

• How does his essay begin?

• How does it end?

• What does Thoreau believe that observers and walkers can learn from nature?

• Why is Thoreau’s essay entitled “Walking”? Discuss several different ways that walking is a
meaningful activity in this essay. Who or what is “walking?”

• What is the significance of the direction that Thoreau prefers to travel in? Why?

Theme and Thesis:

• This is an essay, so where is the thesis?

• How does Thoreau develop his theme or thesis?

• Is there a turning point in his essay? If so, where is it, and how does it carry his argument
forward?

• How does he explore the concept of nature? What is wild?

• How does Thoreau compare/contrast nature and human society?

• How do Thoreau’s descriptions of the natural world compare to Hogan’s descriptions of

nature?

• As you will recall, Hogan describes herself as an outsider or observer. How does Thoreau
relate to nature?

• What kind of conflicts does he set-up in his work? Why?

• What is it about Thoreau’s writing that might appeal to modern readers? What does he
anticipate about the environmental conditions today? Find examples or descriptions that
apply to issues of environmental awareness and sustainability in both his time and ours?

Language and writing style:

• What sentences or phrases stand out to you? How does he create memorable phrases?

• How does Thoreau include or exclude his reader from his message? Does Thoreau’s style
draw his reader into his point of view? How is this different from Hogan?

• What kind of language does Thoreau use? How does this compare or contrast to Hogan?

• How might Thoreau and Hogan be writing different kinds of essays? How are they similar?
How are they different?

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 • What are some of the other techniques that Thoreau uses? How many can you list? For
example, see if you can find examples of

dialogue,
metaphor,
image,
repetition,
questions,
answers,
quotes,
a variety of sentence types (i.e. short, terse sentences, simple, compound or complex
sentences), etc.

Where does he . . .
give detailed descriptions,
make universal summary statements,
tell a story of personal experience?

Give an example for each technique you find.

Appealing to logos, pathos, or ethos?

• How does Thoreau appeal to logic?

• How does Thoreau appeal to emotion?

• How does Thoreau appeal to ethics or ethos?

• Who are his “authorities?” Who does he discount?

• How does Thoreau

draw conclusions,
give meaning to, and make sense of things?
What are his “overall” conclusions?

• How is this similar to different from the way that Hogan draws her conclusions?

C: Conclusion: (30 min.)

Return to the large group and take turns reporting on what you discovered from/about Thoreau’s and
Hogan’s essays. Conclude in a large group seminar by discussing the questions from the
introduction of the Hogan workshop.

• Compare and contrast the two works. Why kinds of essays are they?

• What is their theme or thesis?

• What are they trying to communicate or trying to convince their readers of?

• What kinds of arguments do they use?

• When and how are the essays written?

• Who is their audience?

• How are the experiences of the two essayists different? How are they similar?

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 • How do the essays differ in form and style?

• How does each of the writers make their individual experience universal?

• What do these writers and essays mean to you?

• How might 21st Century readers reflect on these two works, and what do we learn from them?

• How do they help us understand our own connection to nature?

How about to writing and walking?

• How do they inspire, challenge, or encourage us to deal with the local/global challenges that
face us?

Part 2: After Completing the Workshop:

Write for 20 Min. on the following question:

Analysis/Synthesis Essay Question: Hogan and Thoreau’s essays, “Walking”

Henry David Thoreau and Linda Hogan lived at different times historically, have different
cultural backgrounds, write from the point of view of different genders, and compose essays using
different stylistic devices and approaches to the essay. Yet they each write with conviction and passion
about their relationship to nature and culture.

Compare and contrast the essays by Hogan and Thoreau. What are some of the similarities?
What are some of the differences? What do they do, as writers, to get their point across? Give
examples of the stylistic devices, and the form or structure they use to construct their essays. How
doe they approach the idea of the essay, what form do they use? How do they present their
arguments or thesis? What do you think each of them is trying to say about the role of humans and
the natural world?

Make references to Thoreau’s and Hogan’s essays (including direct quotes, if appropriate) to support
any arguments or generalizations that you make.

Get back into small groups and share your answers.

Date and label this assignment Workshop 6, and put it in your portfolio for review.

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